Wheel clamping assemblies

ABSTRACT

An axle assembly ( 310 ) has a longitudinal axis and first and second ends, the axle assembly configured for rotatably mounting a wheel and hub assembly on an axle portion of the axle assembly, the axle portion located between the first and second ends, the axle assembly configured for affixing to first and second structural members ( 301, 302 ), at least one of the structural members ( 302 ) comprising a substantially closed bore orifice ( 306 ) wheel mounting point or dropout, said dropout having a first side configured for the axle portion to extend therefrom when said axle assembly ( 310 ) is fixed to said point and a second side, the axle assembly ( 310 ) comprising a first fixing means ( 309 ) at the first end for releasably fixing the axle assembly ( 310 ) to the first structural member ( 302 ) and a second fixing means ( 311 ) at the second end for releasably fixing the axle assembly ( 310 ) to the second structural member ( 301 ).

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/629,036, filed Dec. 8, 2006 and now U.S. Pat. No., which was asubmission to enter the national stage under 35 U.S.C. 371 forinternational application number PCT/GB2005/002268 having internationalfiling date Jun. 8, 2005, for which priority was based upon patentapplication 0412858.3 having a filing date of Jun. 9, 2004 filed inGreat Britain.

All of the above prior applications are hereby incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wheel clamping assemblies for use infixing an axle to a structure and particularly, although notexclusively, the invention relates to a quick release axle for use infixing a wheel to a vehicle such as a bicycle or a motorcycle.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Fixing devices for securing a wheel to a structure are known. Thus, forexample, bicycle wheels, motorcycle wheels, trike wheels and wheels ofkarts, prams and the like are known to be secured by a wide variety oftypes of fixing devices. In the field of bicycles and motorcycles it isknown to secure a wheel to a set of forks of the vehicle. A typical setof forks comprises a pair of spaced apart fork legs although in generalthere must be at least one fork leg. A fork is thus a structural memberthat is configured for affixing a wheel axle thereto. Typically for atwo wheeled bicycle there is a set of front forks that comprises twofork legs to which is affixed a front wheel and there is also a pair ofrear fork legs (commonly known in the art as stays) for affixing a rearwheel. The portion of the fork where the wheel is fixed theretocomprises a dropout. By a dropout it is meant a wheel mounting point,typically located at an end portion of the fork, that comprises anaperture in which a fixing may be located or applied so as to secure thewheel axle to the fork. However the term is also commonly used to alsomean the aperture itself and the term is used interchangeably herein,the exact meaning being dependent upon the particular context inquestion as will be understood by those skilled in the art. The pair offront forks are spaced apart as are the pair of rear wheel stays.Typical dropouts have inner sides or faces (i.e. faces which face eachother), outer sides that are opposite the other sides, and an orifice. Acommon type of dropout orifice is in the form of an elongate aperture toprovide a slot for receiving a wheel axle. The dropouts of moreconventional bicycles comprise slots that are located at the ends of theforks and which have an opening for receiving the axle from a directionthat is more or less defined by the longitudinal axis of an associatedfork leg. Such slotted dropouts enable the wheel axle to be removed fromthe dropouts in a direction away from the lower ends of the dropouts andthese are commonly referred to in the art as open bore dropouts. It isknown to secure a wheel in such open bore wheel mounting points by usingan axle that is permanently fixed within a wheel hub and which comprisesscrew threaded end portions for affixing a threaded nut thereto, the hubbeing located between the inner faces of the mounting points. A firstnut locates against an outer face of one of the mounting points and asecond nut locates against the outer face of the second. This known typeof system requires use of a tool such as a spanner to release the nutsand is thus time consuming.

Improved wheel clamping devices have been devised, which are known as“quick release” (QR) wheel clamping devices. As regards open bore typedropouts, by the term “quick release” it is meant a fixing that can bereadily undone according to its intended (or primary) mode of operationby a person using only their hands and without the need to use a tool toachieve this. A lever mechanism (or other QR means) may be providedwhich is operable by hand so as to apply or disengage the fixing. Byintended mode, in the case of a QR lever mechanism, it is meantachieving the required release of the fixing by using the lever asopposed to dismantling the fixing in some other way. In the case ofquick release clamping of hub/axle assemblies in open bore dropouts itis known to be able to provide a clamping arrangement such that a leveris provided to apply (or remove) a tensional force to (or from) aspindle that passes inside the axle, the force applied effectivelyacting to pull the two fork legs in a direction towards one another soas to clamp them to the hub/axle assembly. A good example is disclosedin the French patent application having publication no. FR2782471.Although FR2782471 discloses a quick release wheel hub assembly it maybe considered to be unnecessarily complicated in that the bearings arelocated in the forks rather than in the wheel hub assembly. A problemwith the system disclosed in FR2782471 is that it is highly desirable touse commonly available wheels and wheel hub assemblies wherein the wheelhub itself comprises the bearings. U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,762 alsodiscloses a form of quick release apparatus that comprises a hub havinga spindle passing therethrough and to which there is attached a camlever at a first end and an end cap located at the other end. Followingpositioning of the end portions of the spindle within each respectivedropout the end cap is then positioned next to a first dropout and thecam lever is then used to clamp the apparatus to the forks. In normaloperation of quick release wheel clamping devices of the type designedfor use with open bore dropouts the axle remains intact with the hubthat comprises the bearings when the wheel is removed from the forks.This is because the open bore dropouts simply allow the axle fixing tobe lowered away from the dropouts when the fixing is loosenedsufficiently.

Open bore dropouts are suitable for many types of bicycles andmotorcycles. However the rigidity of the wheel mounting and assembly isknown to be less than optimal. Increased rigidity is required in certaintypes of cycling/motorcycling activities where high tensional andcompressional forces are applied to the vehicle. Thus in the field ofmountain biking and also in the field of BMX cycling it is desired toimprove the rigidity of the wheel mounting system of a given vehicle. Toimprove rigidity the width of the dropouts may be increased. By width itis meant the distance from the inner side (or face) to the outer side ofthe dropout, this being a distance measured in a direction parallel tothe wheel axle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,643 (Marzocchi) discloses a quickreleasable hub assembly of increased rigidity in that it comprisesdropouts that are substantially wider than on typical cycle forks. Thisreference also discloses a quick-release clamping mechanism of the knownhub/spindle mechanism described above. Although U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,643provides improved rigidity, the fact that the dropouts are of theopenbore type results in less than optimal rigidity as regards thesecurement of the wheel hub to the forks of the vehicle.

In applications such as mountain biking it is highly desirable to usedropouts that are fully or substantially closed bore. By fully closedbore it is meant a wheel mounting orifice that has a circumference of360° at all times. However use of such fully closed bore dropouts meansthat the above mentioned quick release assemblies, as exemplified byU.S. Pat. No. 6,386,643, are not able to be inserted into the dropoutswithout substantially dismantling the axle assembly and thus losing theintended quick release effect of the quick release assembly.

A known assembly for creating a closed bore type of arrangement as usedwith a “quick release” hub of the type exemplified above isschematically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The system schematicallyillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is substantially based on the fork and hubassembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,643. FIGS. 1 and 2schematically illustrate a pair of spaced apart front forks 101 and 102each comprising respective end wheel mounting portions 103 and 104. Theextended width of the dropouts is, for example, indicated for fork leg102 between points 105 and 106 (i.e. corresponding to the approximatediameter of the axle), the extended width providing improved rigidity ascompared with narrower fork dropouts that are found on more conventionalbicycles. A quick release axle (as designed for use with open boredropouts) 107 comprises a first end having a cam lever 108 and a secondend comprising an end cap 109. The axle 107 is insertable in dropouts103, 104 generally in the direction indicated by arrow 110. Followinginsertion in the dropouts the end cap 109 and cam lever 108 are used tocause a tensional force to be applied across the main body of theelongate axle 111 to secure the axle to the dropouts. However to improverigidity and to secure the axle in the dropouts it is known to close theopen bores of the forks. Thus as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a pair of platesare known to be attached to the ends of the respective dropouts, thesebeing plates 112 and 113. Plates 112 and 113 are respectively secured tothe lower ends of the dropouts by respective bolts 114 and 115. Byclosing the open ended dropouts using plates 112 and 113 the rigidityand the securement of the axle as held in the dropouts is improved andthis is particularly desirable in mountain biking wherein cornering andmaneuvering of wheels over rocks and the like causes great stresses tobe put on the forks and, in particular, on the front forks. The frontforks are in fact known to move relative to each other and the closedbore helps to ensure that the axle does not move within the dropouts andtherefore it helps to ensure that the forks do not move relative to eachother. A problem with the fork/axle assembly schematically illustratedin FIGS. 1 and 2 is that it is difficult and time consuming to removeand replace the axle from/to the open bore dropouts in view of the needto respectively remove and replace the plates. Also the person ridingthe particular vehicle is required to carry specific tools to effecttightening or loosening of the small bolts 114 and 115 in the event thata wheel is being respectively fitted or removed. A further problem isthat frequently the bolts or plates may be lost or damaged duringremoval of a wheel or insertion of a wheel into the fork dropouts. Openbore dropouts configured to be closed when in use may be suitablyreferred to as semi-permanent closed bore dropouts in that they are notclosed at all times.

In view of the problems associated with the fork/axle assemblyschematically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 it is desirable to provide animproved axle/fork assembly that benefits from use of closed boredropouts. Unlike traditional bicycles, axles used in sports such asmountain biking may have a greater diameter, again for purposes ofproviding greater rigidity and strength of the axle/fork assembly.Typically such higher rigidity axles are greater than 9 mm in diameterand in general they are at least 20 mm in diameter. Thus the axle mainbody 111 schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 is 20 mm in diameteras is common in mounting the front wheels of mountain bikes. In order tohold an axle rigidly in one or more dropouts it is highly desirable touse closed bore dropouts, the most rigid system comprising dropouts thatare fully closed bore in that the dropout orifices simply comprise holeshaving a full 360° circumference. A fully closed bore dropout thus doesnot comprise a slit which would render the orifice as not encircling theaxle by a full 360°. By making use of fully closed bore dropouts or nearclosed bore dropouts (that is dropouts which substantially encircle theaxle, but which comprise a gap in the wall of the dropout orifice, thegap constituting less than 180° of angular measure around thecircumference of the axle) effectively means that the axle cannot beinserted in the dropouts in the usual manner. The term “substantiallyclosed bore” is used hereinafter to refer to fully closed bore dropoutsand/or near closed bore dropouts. A property of such substantiallyclosed bore dropouts is that the axle must, at least during normalplacement or removal of the axle assembly to be from the substantiallyclosed bore, be inserted in a direction substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis that is defined by the axle when in position in thedropout(s). This is in contrast to the usual method of inserting an axlein open bore dropouts wherein, as described earlier, the axle isinserted in a direction that is transverse to the in-use position of thelongitudinal axis of the axle when in position in the dropouts. Withoutdisassembling the QR spindle system for this type of fork/axle assembly(thereby removing the spindle) it is simply not possible to fit the QRaxle in to the dropouts.

Other improved high rigidity axle/fork assemblies are known, such as,for example, those retailed by the US company in the name of RockshoxIncorporated of California. One such system marketed by Rockshox is thatknown as the “Tullio 20 mm QR system”. The Tullio system comprises alarge diameter axle that is located within a pair of fork dropouts thatare substantially closed bore (each dropout orifice comprises a narrowgap thereby rendering the bore as not strictly fully closed bore, butnear closed bore). The gap is provided so that a cam lever located onthe exterior surface of a fork dropout can be closed thereby forcing theedges of the slit towards each other and thereby ensuring that the axleis held rigidly in each of the fork dropouts. In this system the camlevers are mounted on the fork dropouts and not on the actual axleassembly.

Rockshox Inc. have also developed a further 20 mm QR system whichincorporates a cam lever on the axle assembly (rather than on a fork)and which is used to effect expansion of a member within the axleportion of the axle assembly, the expansion thereby ensuring that an endportion of the axle is held tightly within the dropout. In this singlecam lever system a first end of the axle assembly is first screwed intoone of the fork dropouts and once the first end of the axle is firmly inplace, the second end comprising the cam lever is used to effectexpansion of the expansion member to thereby secure both first andsecond ends within their respective dropouts. Unlike the systemschematically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the two aforementionedRockshox systems are configured such that the axle itself is removedfrom a given wheel hub through which it passes, this being necessary byvirtue of either a substantially or a completely closed bore constraintof the forks/stays for which the system is configured to be used.Removal of the axle is in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axisof the axle when the axle is in its operational position in the hub.

In relation to clamping assemblies configured for use with substantiallyclosed bore dropouts the requirements for an assembly to qualify as“quick release” are therefore that:

-   -   (a) it does not require use of a special tool, such as a spanner        i.e. it is readily operated, in its normal intended mode of        operation, by hand; and    -   (b) in its normal mode of operation it is configured to enable        an axle portion of the clamping assembly to be inserted through        and removed from a substantially closed bore dropout in the        direction of the longitudinal axis of the axle.

Although an open bore dropout QR system of the type discussed earliercould be dismantled and then fitted through a closed bore dropout systemit would be time consuming and there is the risk of loss of and/ordamage to the separated components. Such dismantling of a system wouldnot be operated as primarily intended (to quickly remove a wheel from astructure to which the wheel is attached) and is thus not considered toconstitute a quick release mechanism in relation to such closed boreuse.

In contrast to the axle/fork assemblies of the types described above,the axle is releasably mounted in or through a given hub to which awheel is attached. In these latter types of axle assemblies the largediameter axle is placed in or withdrawn from the hub in a direction thatis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the axle. During operationwithin a given hub the axle locates against one or more sealed bearingsof the type in the form of a ring (usually two, one at each end of thehub). Sealed bearings of this type comprise a so-called outer race andan inner race between which there is provided a series of bearings. Forthe bearing to work correctly the inner race must be stationary relativeto the axle. The outer race is configured to move relative to the innerrace during hub movement. To prevent the inner race from moving relativeto the axle a force is applied longitudinally (that is in the directionof the longitudinal axis of the axle) by virtue of the hub and axleconfiguration itself. The force on the inner race is provided byslightly raised portions within the hub/axle assembly—these areconfigured to communicate with the inner race and they translate a forceto the inner race by virtue of the clamping effect provided by the wayin which the hub and axle are held with respect to each other. The smallraised portions (typically in the form of a lip) stop the inner racefrom moving relative to the axle.

In the aforementioned single cam Rockshox system a force is supplied toensure that the inner race is stationery relative to the main axleportion of the assembly. This force is provided by a raised portion onthe axle itself. As a separate action, the Rockshox assembly holds thefork legs by virtue of the expansion of a member in the axle when thismember is positioned within the confines of the orifice of the closedbore dropout.

A problem associated with both of the aforementioned Rockshox systems isthat, although the axle assembly is fixed to the dropouts, the rigidityof these systems is considered to be less than optimal. It is thereforedesired to provide an alternative assembly for rigidly mounting a highrigidity axle in highly rigid front or rear fork systems whilstretaining the ability to remove or replace a wheel using a quick releasemechanism. Not only is an alternative required, but the systems designedby Rockshox are considered to be somewhat less than optimal in that theclamping effect of the quick release cams is configured to provide aforce on the axle in the direction defined by a radius extending betweena point on the circumference of the axle and a point on the longitudinalaxis located along the length of and at the centre of the axle. Clampingin this way means that the axle is only prevented from moving (relativeto the fork or forks to which it is attached) in the longitudinaldirection by virtue of the magnitude of the force applied by (a) the twocam levers (in the Tullio assembly) or (b) by the single lever in thesingle cam lever Rockshox system. In the sport of mountain biking highforces (especially as regards front fork systems) may potentially causethe axle in these systems to move, particularly if the cam or cams arenot tightened sufficiently or if they become loosened in some way duringoperation of the bike. There is thus a need to provide an alternativehigh rigidity closed bore axle/fork assembly system that can be removedwithout the need for a tool to be used and which is designed so as to beremoved easily and quickly.

Increasing the rigidity and strength is highly desirable in the wheelaxle mountings of vehicles such as mountain bikes. For this reasonclosed bore dropouts have been used in conjunction with a wider diameteraxle that can be secured within the closed bore dropouts. Use of closedbore dropouts is particularly desirable in bicycles with suspensionforks of the type that are common on mountain bikes. Use of suspensionforks can create unbalanced compressional and tensional forces in thefork legs during cornering and maneuvering of the bicycle. This isparticularly so in the case of a set of front forks which are configuredto hold a wheel of the vehicle that is used for steering the vehicle.The known methods for securing larger diameter axles, commonly 20 mm indiameter, differ in design, but each suffers from either requiringspecialist tools for the removal of the wheel and/or requires anexcessive number of operations to be completed before the wheel can beremoved by virtue of the axle being displaced longitudinally throughclosed-bore dropouts rather than simply being dropped out as is the casewith open-bore dropouts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to decrease the level ofcomplication in connecting a bicycle wheel to a bicycle or bicycle forkso that a substantially closed-bore dropout can be used.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wheel clampingassembly that enables a substantially closed-bore dropout to be usedwith an axle assembly that is of a quick-release type and which can beremoved quickly without use of specialist tools.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedwheel axle that can be inserted into and removed from a hub inaccordance with a simple operation that may be performed by hand andwithout the need for specialist tools.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedwheel clamping assembly that can be used to secure either a front wheelor a rear wheel of a vehicle such as a one or two-wheeled bicycle or amotorcycle or a tricycle or a motorised trike.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is providedan axle assembly having a longitudinal axis and first and second ends,an axle portion of said axle assembly being located between said firstand second ends, said axle assembly being configured for affixing tofirst and second structural members, at least one of said structuralmembers comprising a substantially closed bore dropout, saidsubstantially closed bore dropout having a first side configured forsaid axle portion to extend therefrom when said axle assembly is fixedto said dropout and a second side, said axle assembly comprising a firstfixing means at said first end for releasably fixing said axle assemblyto said first structural member and a second fixing means at said secondend for releasably fixing said axle assembly to said second structuralmember, said axle assembly characterized in that,

-   -   said first fixing means includes a slot assembly configured to        engage with an engagement pin associated with one of said        structural members,    -   said second fixing means includes an abutment member for        substantially locating against said second side of said dropout        and a quick release means configured to provide a clamping force        between said abutment member and the opposite end of said axle        assembly, said force clamping said axle assembly to said        structural members and said force acting in the direction of        said longitudinal axis,    -   said slot assembly comprises a first slot that extends        transversely to a second slot, said first and second slots        arranged such that, in use, one of said slots is configured to        engage with said engagement pin following said axle portion        being rotated about the longitudinal axis of said axle assembly        by a predetermined angle,    -   whereby, in use, said axle assembly can be released from said        substantially closed bore dropout in the direction of said        longitudinal axis.        Preferably, said engagement pin associated with one of said        structural members protrudes into the substantially closed bore        dropout thereof.

Preferably one of said fixing means is configured to be releasablypassed through a wheel hub.

Preferably said quick release means comprises a lever.

Preferably said abutment member is slidably mounted relative to saidaxle portion of said axle assembly, the direction of sliding being inthe direction of said longitudinal axis.

Preferably said quick release means comprises a lever fixed to said axleportion of said axle assembly by a cam fixing screw, said screw passinglongitudinally through said abutment member and engaging with a threadedorifice in an end of said axle portion such that when said lever isrotated in a plane transverse to said longitudinal axis it rotates saidscrew and thereby draws said abutment member towards or away from saidaxle portion.

Preferably said abutment member comprises means for transferring arotational force applied to said abutment member to said axle portion.

Preferably said force transfer means comprises at least one elongatemember rigidly connected to said abutment member, said at least oneelongate member communicating with a receiving orifice extending in thelongitudinal direction into the end of said axle portion that is at theabutment member end of said axle portion.

Preferably said abutment member for substantially locating against saidsecond side of said substantially closed bore dropout comprises a facehaving a chamfered edge for locating with the edge of the orifice ofsaid closed bore dropout.

Preferably one of said fixing means is configured with a slot assemblyconfigured to engage with an engagement pin associated with one of saidstructural members.

Preferably said fixing means comprising said slot assembly is of asmaller diameter than the diameter of said axle portion of said axleassembly, said smaller diameter thereby enabling said slot assemblyfixing means to pass substantially through a wheel hub.

Preferably said slot assembly comprises a first slot that extendstransversely to a second slot, said first and second slots arranged suchthat when said axle assembly is in use one of said slots is configuredto engage with said engagement pin following said axle portion beingrotated about the longitudinal axis of said axle assembly by apredetermined angle.

Preferably said predetermined angle is approximately 50°.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda wheel clamping assembly comprising first and second structural membersfor affixing an axle assembly thereto and an axle assembly as describedin any of the preceding paragraphs, at least one of said structuralmembers comprising a substantially closed bore dropout, saidsubstantially closed bore dropout having a first side configured forsaid axle portion to extend therefrom when said axle is fixed to saidwheel mounting point and a second side.

Preferably said first and/or said second structural member comprises abicycle fork leg.

Preferably said structural members each include a substantially closedbore dropout.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is providedan axle for use in an assembly as claimed in any of the precedingparagraphs, said axle having a slot assembly at a first end thereof,said slot assembly comprising a first slot that extends transversely toa second slot, said first and second slots arranged such that, in use,one of said slots is configured to engage with said engagement pinfollowing said axle being rotated about the longitudinal axis of saidaxle assembly by a predetermined angle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same maybe carried into effect, there will now be described by way of exampleonly, specific embodiments, methods and processes according to thepresent invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a known assembly for creating a closedbore type of arrangement as used with a “quick release” hub.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an exploded view of the assembly ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates, in perspective view and in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an improvedaxle/fork assembly as configured for use on a mountain bike;

FIG. 4 further details, in exploded perspective view, the axle assemblyof FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5( a)-(e) schematically illustrate various planar views of theaxle assembly of FIGS. 3 and 4, FIG. 5( a) representing a side elevationview, FIG. 5( b) representing a plan view, FIG. 5( c) representing afirst end view, FIG. 5( d) representing a second end view and FIG. 5( e)representing a sectional side elevation view along the plane defined atx-x in FIG. 5( b);

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a sectional view of the wheel clampingassembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates, in perspective view, the wheelclamping assembly illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6, such that the axle, huband forks are shown in position when in use on a given bicycle;

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates, in perspective view, a further view ofthe assembly of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates, in perspective exploded view, afurther preferred embodiment of a wheel clamping axle assembly, theassembly comprising an end piece that the axle is to be attached to, theend piece being configured for fitment to a structure to which the axleis to be used in conjunction with;

FIG. 10 further details, in perspective view, the end piece depicted inFIG. 9; and

FIGS. 11( a)-(c) further detail two dimensional planar views of the endpiece depicted in FIGS. 9 and 10, FIG. 11( a) representing a sideelevation view, FIG. 11( b) representing an end elevation view and FIG.11( c) representing a sectional view in the plane (A-A) as shown in FIG.11( b).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

There will now be described by way of example a specific modecontemplated by the inventors. In the following description numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding. It will be apparent however, to one skilled in the art,that the present invention may be practiced without limitation to thesespecific details. In other instances, well known methods and structureshave not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure thedescription.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates, in exploded perspective view, a wheelclamping assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention. The assembly comprises a pair of forks, such as thefront forks of a mountain bike, 301 and 302. The fork legs 301, 302 areelongate and towards the lower end, that is the end to which an axle isto be attached, each fork leg comprises a substantially (full or near)closed bore wheel mounting point 303 and 304 respectively. Fork leg 301terminates in substantially closed bore dropout portion 303. Fork leg302 terminates in dropout portion 304 which is configured with aprotruding elongate engagement member 305 in the form of a rib or pin.Member 305 protrudes into the substantially cylindrical shaped closedbore orifice 306 that is configured within dropout portion 304. Theprotruding member 305 may be considered to comprise a retaining pin thatis affixed to the closed bore orifice. The retaining pin may be fixed tothe dropout by a suitable fixing means, such as by an interference fitas indicated at 307. Rib member 305 is preferably attached to the wallsof orifice 306 at two places (i.e. at opposite ends of the rib). Howeverit may potentially be attached at only one end. The protruding member305 located within dropout 304 is configured to communicate with the endof an axle assembly such as the axle assembly generally indicated at308. Axle assembly 308 comprises a first end 309 and a second end 310.End 310 comprises a quick-release cam lever mechanism, the cam leverbeing indicated at 311. Axle end 310 additionally comprises an abutmentmember 312 which, in the example shown, comprises a substantiallycylindrical shaped member having a greater diameter than the main bodyor axle portion 313 of the axle assembly. Abutment or stop member 312 isconfigured with a first face to abut against dropout 303 and a secondface (the base) which communicates with the cam lever mechanism. Firstaxle end 309 is configured to be inserted into a known hub 314 in adirection generally indicated by arrow 315, arrow 315 being definedalong the longitudinal axis that passes through the centre of thecylindrical shaped axle's main body 313. The fixing means at the end 309of axle portion 313 comprises a slot assembly that is configured toreceive locking pin 305 of fork leg 302, the slot assembly beingconfigured to secure pin 305 therein. The pin 305 and slotted end 309may suitably be described as a bayonet type of fixing assembly in thatit requires a push-and-twist action to effect secured engagement of theretaining pin within the slot assembly. The retaining pin 305 preventsdetachment of the structure (to which the pin is permanently affixed)from the slot assembly being effected by the simple act of pulling axleassembly 308 out of hub assembly 314. Instead a twist and pull action isrequired to release the pin from the slot assembly. In this way use of afixing end comprising a screw thread (which would be prone to damageand/or difficulty of operation with accretion of dirt) can be avoided inthe preferred embodiment of axle end part 309. By affixing axle assembly308 to pin 305 a force can then be applied in a direction parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the axle by virtue of operation of cam lever311, the cam lever being used to effect a force in the longitudinaldirection so as to pull the fork dropout portions 303 and 304 in adirection towards each other. The force applied is transferred via thecam lever through stopping member 312 which is configured to communicatewith the outer face of dropout portion 303. The cam lever assembly is ofthe type known to those skilled in the art that comprises a locking ringhaving a seat for engaging with an eccentrically mounted cam lever toprovide the locking effect.

As previously mentioned the inner portions of dropout portions 303 and304 are the faces of the dropouts that face each other. The outer facesare the opposite sides of the dropout portions to the inner faces. Tofacilitate the tightening effect of cam lever 311 and to ensure rigidityof the axle and fork assembly, the stop member 312 is configured with achamfered end that communicates with the outer face of dropout 303. Thechamfer is indicated at 316 and is angled such that the stop effectivelywedges into the dropout orifice of 303. Preferably, to ensure a goodfit, the edge of the dropout orifice is angled to match up with theoppositely chamfered edge of the stop member 312. By virtue of thebayonet fixing arrangement the axle assembly 308 is simply removed fromthe hub by firstly releasing cam lever 311, secondly turning the axleassembly through a rotation of approximately 50° (to release the pin 305from a retaining portion of the slot assembly of axle fixing means end309) and then thirdly pulling the axle in a direction that is oppositeto the direction generally indicated by arrow 315. As will be understoodby those skilled in the art the exact rotation angle is dependent uponthe exact configuration of the assembly and on the strength of thematerials used to construct the axle and dropout portions.

The axle assembly generally indicated at 308 in FIG. 3 is furtherschematically illustrated, in exploded perspective view, in FIG. 4 so asto more clearly illustrate the constituent parts. Cam lever 311communicates with a cam fixing screw 401, the cam lever and fixing screwbeing of the type commonly known to those skilled in the art. Howevercam fixing screw 401 is configured to pass through the stop member 312.By virtue of screw threaded end 402 of cam fixing screw 401 being passedthrough a clearance hole (not shown) located centrally through the baseof the stop member the fixing cam lever 311 and fixing screw member 401can then be affixed to a drilled and tapped hole (not shown) in end 405of axle member 313. In addition to the base of stop member 312comprising a centrally positioned hole, stop member 312 additionallycomprises a pair of internally projecting pins 403, 404 that are affixedto the base. These pins extend towards axle 313 and ultimately locate inspecially configured holes in the end 405 of axle 313. The screwthreaded end 402 of cam fixing screw 401 communicates with a threadedhole (not shown) located in the end 405 of axle portion 313. The pins403 and 404 communicate with holes positioned on either side of thecentral screw threaded hole of axle main body 313. The communicatingpins 403 and 404 are provided so that a rotational force applied to stopmember 312, such as by a cyclist's fingers, may be translated to theaxle portion 313. In this way such an applied force is used to rotateaxle portion 313 in the operation of either securing the axle to bayonetpin 305 or removing the axle from this pin.

Towards the end of the axle main body 313 which is at the opposite endto stop 312 there is provided the fixing end 309. This cylindricalportion, in the preferred embodiment, may be of a smaller diameter thanthe diameter of the main cylindrical body. Although a cylindrical shapefor the main body and end piece is preferred those skilled in the artwill realise that various other shapes and configurations may providethe required utility. As described above, axle end 309 comprises afixing means comprised of a slot assembly. In the preferred embodimentillustrated the slot assembly comprises of a first main slot 406 whichextends into the axle end in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axisof the axle. This first slot has a main length that extends in thedirection defined by the longitudinal axis of the axle. It iseffectively formed by virtue of having removed two portions of the wallof the cylindrical end 309 such that the two removed portions arediametrically opposite each other. Towards the inner end of slot 406there is provided a second slot 407.

In the best mode contemplated slot 407 extends in a directionperpendicular to slot 406 and is effectively formed by the wall of endportion 309 having been removed (e.g. cut away). Slot 407 starts at, andtherefore communicates with, the inner end of slot 406. The second slotis more complex than the first in that it comprises of a first cut outportion 408 on a first side of the end piece 309 and a second cut outportion 409 (hidden) on the diametrically opposite side. The cut outportions on each side extend away from the main slot in oppositedirections. Looking at the axle end from a side view indicated bydirectional arrow 410 the first and second slots adjoin and each form aright-angled cut-out portion in the wall of the end piece. Such aright-angle shape is commonly referred to in the field of engineering asa “dog-leg”. The fact that each dog-leg cut-out on each side is theopposite of the other (in terms of the direction in which the secondslot extends away from the first) provides the locking ability of theconfiguration. In this way the locking pin 305 may be inserted in slot406. Following insertion of pin 305 in slot 406 a rotational forceapplied to rotate axle body 313 about its longitudinal axis then causesthe second slot 407 to engage with the pin which is thereby locked inposition. To release pin 305 from slot 407 an opposite rotational forceis required to be applied so that the axle main body 313 rotates in theopposite direction to when it is rotated to secure the pin. Uponrotating the axle main body 313 by the required amount (approximately50° in the preferred embodiment where the two slots are perpendicular toeach other) the locking pin 305 is aligned with slot 406 so that axlemain body 313 may simply be withdrawn from pin 305 and thereafter out ofthe hub from which it is located within. Slots 406 and 407 areconjoined. Slot 406 effectively turns into slot 407 and thus slot 407could be construed as simply the end part of main slot 406.

FIGS. 5( a) to 5(e) schematically illustrate two-dimensional views ofaxle assembly 308. FIG. 5( a) is a side elevation view of the axleassembly 308. FIG. 5( b) is a plan view or rather a view that has beenrotated through 90° about the longitudinal axis of the axle as comparedwith FIG. 5( a). This view shows the main slot 406 of axle body 309 asextending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the axle. Towardsthe rear of the slot, that is further into the axle itself, there isformed a second slot 407 that extends in a direction perpendicular toslot 406.

FIG. 5( c) is an end elevation view of FIG. 5( a) or FIG. 5( b) andshows the cam lever and the end of the stop member 312.

FIG. 5( d) is an end elevational view of the non-cam lever end of theaxle assembly, that is end 309. This is a view looking head on at thebayonet slot engagement end 309.

FIG. 5( e) schematically illustrates a sectional view of the axleassembly 308, the section being along the plane X-X that is indicated inFIG. 5 (b). This Figure illustrates that the main axle body 313comprises a cylinder having a wall 501, the cylinder being substantiallyhollow. The hollow cylinder is not a necessary requirement, but ispreferred since, as is known to those skilled in the art, a cylinderhaving an internal-bore is stronger for purposes of bearing weight thana solid cylindrical member of the same diameter. Use of a hollowcylinder also achieves a weight saving. The Figure further details theelongate pins 403, 404 that are attached to the stop member 312 andwhich extend into orifices in the cam lever end of the axle main body313. The pin members 403 and 404 are present so that a person can, oncam lever 311 being loosened, rotate member 312 so as to effect aturning force on the axle main body 313. In this way the locking pin 305is releasable from the bayonet pin receiving grooves or slots 406 and407.

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a sectional view, in two-dimensions, ofa wheel clamping assembly of the type schematically illustrated inperspective view in FIG. 3. From FIG. 6 it can be seen that axle portion313 passes through a hollow region within hub member 314. The Figureshows locking pin 305 in its locked-in position within locking slot 407.Once locking pin 305 is in place abutment member 312 is configured toabut against the outer surface of dropout 303. By virtue of closing camlever 311 this thereby effects a force upon slidably mounted stoppingmember 312 which thereby causes the axle main body 313 to pull againstlocking pin 305. There is therefore applied a tensional force to acrossthe axle by virtue of stopping member 312 pulling against locking pin305. The tensional force acts in a direction defined by the longitudinalaxis of the axle. The dropout 303 comprises a first face (inner face,i.e. on the axle side) and a second face that communicates with theabutment member. The abutment member 312 exerts a force on the outerface of dropout 303 whereas at the opposite end of the axle the force isapplied at the location of the pin 305 which is located within theregion between the inner face and the outer face of the dropout. Theforce applied by the stopping member 312 may be described as beingapplied from the outside face of the dropout 303. Preferably stoppingmember 312 comprises a chamfered (that is an angled) edge (not shown)that locates in a chamfered edge (not shown) of the closed-bore orificeformed within dropout 303 so as to ensure that a rigid fit is therebyprovided. The cam lever 311 is an example of a type of quick releasemeans that is configured to provide a clamping force between theabutment member and the opposite end of the axial assembly, the forceclamping the axle assembly to the forks and the force acting in thedirection of the longitudinal axis of the axle. Suitably the quickrelease means comprises a lever as described, however other quickrelease means may be envisaged by those skilled in the art. The axialassembly and clamping assembly schematically illustrated in FIGS. 3 to6, in contrast to the single cam Rockshox system described in theintroductory section of the present application, is configured toprovide the force required to prevent the inner race moving relative tothe axle and also the force required to hold the entire clampingassembly together. The clamping is from the outside in that the abutmentmember is configured to impose a force upon fork leg 301 upon cam lever311 being rotated and adjusted into its finalised fixed position whereinthe fork is held suitably tightly. In FIG. 6 it is the fork leg 301 thatis configured to provide the required force on the inner race in thebearings, this being provided by slightly raised portions located on theinner face of the wheel mounting point of the fork leg.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates, in perspective view, the wheelclamping assembly illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 6, such that the axle, huband forks are shown in position when in use on a given bicycle. Howeverfor reasons of clarity the other wheel components (e.g. the wheel rimand spokes) which would be connected to hub member 314 have not beenincluded in this Figure. The Figure shows the closed-bore orifice 306located in portion 304 and shows that the end of the axle assembly 308comprising slots 406 and 407 is located within portion 304.

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates, in perspective view, a further view ofthe assembly of FIG. 7 with the cam lever end being in the foreground.

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates, in perspective exploded view, afurther preferred embodiment of a wheel clamping axle assembly. Theassembly comprises an end piece 901 that an axle is to be attached to,the end piece being configured for fitment to a structure to which theaxle is to be used in conjunction with. The components of the main axleassembly are, in the example illustrated, substantially the same asthose schematically illustrated in FIG. 4 and therefore the samenumerals have been used for common components. The axle main body isindicated at 902 and this is substantially the same as the axle mainbody schematically illustrated in FIG. 4 (313). However the end portion(that is the end at the opposite end of the axle to the cam lever) is ofa smaller diameter than the diameter of the main cylindrical body 902.The main cylindrical body forming end piece 901 is indicated at 904,this portion being hollow and of such dimension so as to snugly acceptend portion 903 of axle main body 902. Axle end 903 comprises the samekind of double slot arrangement as indicated in FIG. 4 in respect ofslots 406 and 407. Again a first slot is provided that extends in adirection parallel to the longitudinal axis through the main body 902,this being indicated at 905. Towards the rear of slot 905 there isprovided a second slot, slot 906, that extends in a direction that istransverse (and preferably perpendicular) to slot 905.

FIG. 10 further details, in perspective view, the end piece 901 depictedin FIG. 9. The main body portion 904 of end piece 901 comprises a hollowcylinder which terminates at one end with a solid stopping member 1001that has a greater diameter than the main body 904. The main body 904 ispreferably hollow.

However main body 904 comprises an engagement pin or rib that isindicated at 1002 and which extends across the centre of the body 904.Rib 1002 may be considered to comprise a bar that extends from one sideof the cylinder to a point diametrically opposite on the other side. Therib is held in place by affixing to the walls of cylinder 904. This isachieved by means of holes drilled in respective sides of the walls ofcylinder 904 and an interference fit (pressing) process being applied tothe point of contact between the ends of the rib and the wall of themain cylinder. The rib 1002 is, as shown, set back from the entrance tocylinder 904 by a small distance, this distance representing the lengthfrom the end 903 of axle main body 902 to the centre line extendingalong the longitudinal length of slot 906.

FIGS. 11( a)-(c) further detail two dimensional planar views of the endpiece 901 depicted in FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 11( a) represents a sideelevational view, FIG. 11( b) represents an end elevational view andFIG. 11( c) represents a sectional view in the plane (A-A) as shown inFIG. 11( b).

End piece 901 comprising rib member 1002 enables the axle assembly ofFIG. 9, comprising the cam lever, stop 312 and axle main body 902, to belocked thereto. The mechanism of locking is similar to that described inrelation to locking of the axle of FIGS. 3 to 8 to locking pin 305located in 304. The end piece 901 enables a bayonet type lockingmechanism to be utilised in a wider variety of applications. The endpiece is provided so that an existing structure, such as a pair of frontor rear bicycle forks, can be easily modified, with the end piece beinginserted in a fork location for ready connection with an axle asconfigured in accordance with the present invention.

The preferred embodiments of the invention described include a bayonettype locking mechanism for locking the axle assembly to either a portionof a bicycle frame or fork or for locking an axle assembly to an endpiece 901 that is located in a particular structure to which the axleassembly is to be locked to. The bayonet locking mechanism is highlypreferred. However those skilled in the art will understand that variousother forms of fixing the axle to a structure may be readily configured.Thus, for example, instead of providing a double slot arrangement forengaging with a locking pin it is also possible to replace the bayonetend with a screw threaded male end that is configured to screw into asuitably configured female threaded end or to a suitably configuredscrew threaded end piece. The invention is thus not to be considered aslimited to a bayonet type of locking mechanism. Similarly the inventionis not to be considered as limited to an axle as used in connection witha vehicle. Thus, for example, the axle may be used to lock a wheel to atransportation structure which may, for example, be located on the backof a van. In other words a wheel carrying frame or rack may be assembledon the back of a vehicle such as a car or a van. A wheel configured withan axle assembly as configured in accordance with the present inventionmay then be attached to the wheel carrying assembly by virtue of thequick release axle and in particular if the axle is of the typeconfigured to communicate with an end member, such as end member 901. Inthis latter case, the end member 901 acts as some form of nut to lock anend of the wheel axle to the wheel carrying frame, the cam lever thenbeing used to tighten the axle so as to hold the wheel to the wheelcarrying frame.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the bayonet fixingdescribed may be used in relation to both quick release and standardaxle assemblies comprising a screw thread/locking nut arrangement at oneend. In this respect the bayonet aspect of the invention is not to beconsidered as limited to quick release type fixings.

Although the invention has been described primarily with reference totwo fork legs of a bicycle, in general the invention is applicable toholding a wheel to a large number of types and configurations ofstructures. In general all that is required is that a first end of theaxle is held to a first structure and the second end is held to a secondstructure. The two structures could be part of the same overall physicalstructure and similarly one of the structures could be a part of thewheel axle hub, this generally being a requirement for single forkbicycle wheel mounting systems.

1. A wheel clamping assembly for a bicycle having first and secondspaced structural members with an axle assembly affixed to thestructural members, each of said structural members having a closed boredropout, the axle assembly comprising: (a) an axle portion locatedbetween first and second ends of the axle assembly; (b) said firststructural member having a first side and a second side at its closedbore dropout, with said axle portion extending from the first side; (c)a fastener formed on the axle portion near the second end of the axleassembly and fastened to the second structural member at its closed boredropout; (d) an abutment member slidably mounted to the axle portionnear the first end of the axle assembly and abutting said second side ofthe first structural member; and (e) a quick release providing aclamping force between said abutment member and the fastener at thesecond end of said axle assembly opposite the abutment member, saidforce thereby clamping said axle assembly by compressing said structuralmembers toward one another with said clamping force acting on thestructural members in a direction substantially along a longitudinalaxis of the axle assembly.
 2. The wheel clamping assembly in accordancewith claim 1, wherein at least one of said second structural memberscomprises a bicycle fork leg.
 3. An improved wheel clamping assembly fora bicycle including first and second spaced structural members, eachstructural member having a closed bore dropout, for affixing an axleassembly thereto, said axle assembly having a longitudinal axis andfirst and second ends, said axle assembly configured for rotatablymounting a wheel and hub assembly on an axle portion of said wheelclamping assembly, said axle portion being located between said firstand second ends, the first structural member's dropout having a firstside and a second side, the first side being configured for said axleportion to extend therefrom when said axle is fixed to said firststructural member's dropout, the improvement comprising: (a) said axleassembly having a first fixing means at said first end for releasablyfixing said axle assembly to said first structural member and a secondfixing means at said second end for releasably fixing said axle assemblyto said second structural member; (b) said second fixing means isconfigured to releasably fix said axle assembly to said secondstructural member following said axle portion being rotated about thelongitudinal axis of said axle assembly; (c) said first fixing meansincludes an abutment member slidably mounted to said axle portion forsliding relative to the axle portion in the direction of saidlongitudinal axis, thereby substantially locating the abutment memberagainst said second side of said first structural member's dropout; and(d) a quick release means for providing a clamping force between saidabutment member and the second fixing means at the opposite end of saidaxle assembly as the abutment member, said force thereby clamping saidaxle assembly by compressing to said structural members toward oneanother with the clamping force acting on the structural members in adirection substantially along said longitudinal axis, whereby the axleassembly is configured to be removed from said closed bore dropouts in adirection parallel to said longitudinal axis.
 4. The improved wheelclamping assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein one of said fixingmeans is configured to be releasably passed through the wheel hub. 5.The improved wheel clamping assembly in accordance with claim 3, whereinsaid quick release means comprises a lever.
 6. The improved wheelclamping assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein said quick releasemeans comprises the lever fixed to said axle portion of said axleassembly by a cam fixing screw, said screw passing longitudinallythrough said abutment member and engaging with a threaded orifice in anend of said axle portion such that rotation of said lever in a planetransverse to said longitudinal axis rotates said screw and therebydisplaces said abutment member relative to said axle portion.
 7. Theimproved wheel clamping assembly in accordance with claim 3, whereinsaid abutment member comprises means for transferring a rotational forceapplied to said abutment member to said axle portion.
 8. The improvedwheel clamping assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein saidabutment member for substantially locating against said second side ofsaid wheel mounting point comprises a face having a chamfered edge forlocating with the edge of the closed bore orifice of said wheel mountingstructure.
 9. The improved wheel clamping assembly in accordance withclaim 3, wherein each of said fixing means comprises a cylindricalelement, one said cylindrical element being of a diameter at least asgreat as the diameter of the axle portion and the other of saidcylindrical elements being of a diameter no greater than the diameter ofthe axle portion.
 10. The improved wheel clamping assembly in accordancewith claim 3, wherein said abutment member is cylindrical in shape andthe diameter of said abutment member is at least as great as thediameter of said axle portion.
 11. The improved wheel clamping assemblyin accordance with claim 3, wherein said axle portion is at least 9 mmin diameter.
 12. The improved wheel clamping assembly in accordance withclaim 3, wherein at least one of said first and second structuralmembers comprises a bicycle fork leg.
 13. The improved wheel clampingassembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein both of said first andsecond structural members comprise a bicycle fork leg.
 14. The improvedwheel clamping assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein said secondend comprises a slotted member for insertion into, and retention by, asocket.
 15. The improved wheel clamping assembly in accordance withclaim 7, wherein said abutment member is capable of being rotated byrotation of other parts attached to said abutment member.
 16. Theimproved wheel clamping assembly in accordance with claim 3, whereinsaid first fixing means comprises a threaded connection.
 17. Theimproved wheel clamping assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein thequick release means comprises a cam configured to apply a clamping forcein the direction of said longitudinal axis.